UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Department of Transportation on June 12, 2015

NOTICE OF ACTION TAKEN -- DOCKET DOT-OST-2015-0127 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This serves as notice to the public of the action described below, taken by the Department official indicated (no additional 

confirming order will be issued in this matter).

Applicant: VOLGA-DNEPR AIRLINES LLC (Volga-Dnepr) Date Filed: June 8, 2015

Relief requested: Exemption under 49 USC § 40109(g) to permit the applicant to operate one, one-way, all-cargo charter flight, 

using its AN-124-100 aircraft, carrying outsized cargo on behalf of United Launch Alliance (ULA), from Huntsville, Alabama, to 

Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida, on or about June 14-16, 2015. The applicant states that the flight would carry an Atlas V Booster. 

The applicant asserts that ULA needs the subject lift to meet aggressive fabrication schedules associated with mission integration 

and launch; that the cargo is too large for transportation on commercially available U.S.-carrier aircraft; and that surface 

transportation is not feasible because of the size, delicate nature, and high value of the cargo. 

Applicant representative: Colon Miller, 832-585-8611 DOT analyst: David R. Christofano, 202-366-0584

Responsive pleadings: Volga-Dnepr served its application on those U.S. carriers operating large all-cargo aircraft. Each carrier 

indicated that it did not have aircraft available to conduct the proposed operation and that it had no comment or did not oppose 

grant of the requested authority. 

Statutory Standards: Under 49 USC § 40109(g), we may authorize a foreign air carrier to carry commercial traffic between U.S. 

points (i.e., cabotage traffic) under limited circumstances. Specifically, we must find that the authority is required in the public 

interest; that because of an emergency created by unusual circumstances not arising in the normal course of business the traffic 

cannot be accommodated by U.S. carriers holding certificates under 49 USC § 41102; that all possible efforts have been made to 

place the traffic on U.S. carriers; and that the transportation is necessary to avoid unreasonable hardship to the traffic involved (an 

additional required finding, concerning emergency transportation during labor disputes, was not relevant here).

DISPOSITION

Action: Approved. Action date: June 12, 2015

Effective dates of authority granted: June 14-16, 2015.

Basis for approval: We are granting Volga-Dnepr’s request to operate the proposed one-way flight (described above), on behalf of 

ULA. We found that its request met all the relevant criteria of 49 USC § 40109(g) for the grant of an exemption of this type, and 

that the grant was required in the public interest. Specifically, we were persuaded that the need to move the cargo to meet 

aggressive fabrication schedules associated with mission integration and launch; the fact that the cargo could not be transported by 

surface transportation because of its delicate nature and high value; and the unique, outsized nature of the cargo, constituted an 

emergency not arising in the normal course of business. Moreover, based on the representations of the U.S. carriers, we concluded 

that no U.S. carrier had aircraft available that could be used to conduct the operation at issue here. We also found that grant of this 

authority would prevent unreasonable hardship to ULA. Finally, we found that the applicant was qualified to perform its proposed 

operation.

Except to the extent exempted/waived, this authority is subject to our standard exemption conditions (attached) and to the condition 

that the applicant must comply with an FAA-approved flight routing for the authorized operation. We may amend, modify, or 

revoke the authority granted in this Notice at any time without hearing at our discretion.

Action taken by: Susan L. Kurland

Assistant Secretary for Aviation 

and International Affairs

 

An electronic version of this document is available on the World Wide Web at:

http://www.regulations.gov
Foreign Carrier Exemption Conditions

In the conduct of the operations authorized, the foreign carrier applicant(s) shall:

(1) Not conduct any operations unless it holds a currently effective authorization from its homeland for such operations, 

and it has filed a copy of such authorization with the Department;

(2) Comply with all applicable requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security 

Administration, and with all applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, including, but not limited 

to, 14 CFR Parts 129, 91, and 36 and 49 CFR Part 1546 or 1550, as applicable. To assure compliance with all 

applicable U.S. Government requirements concerning security, the holder shall, before commencing any new service 

(including charter flights) from a foreign airport that would be the holder’s last point of departure for the United States, 

contact its International Industry Representative (IIR) (formerly referred to as International Principal Security 

Inspector) to advise the IIR of its plans and to find out whether the Transportation Security Administration has 

determined that security is adequate to allow such airport(s) to be served;

(3) Comply with the requirements for minimum insurance coverage contained in 14 CFR Part 205, and, prior to the 

commencement of any operations under this authority, file evidence of such coverage, in the form of a completed OST 

Form 6411, with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Program Management Branch (AFS-260), Flight Standards 

Service (any changes to, or termination of, insurance also shall be filed with that office);

(4) Not operate aircraft under this authority unless it complies with operational safety requirements at least equivalent to 

Annex 6 of the Chicago Convention;

(5) Conform to the airworthiness and airman competency requirements of its Government for international air services;

(6) Except as specifically exempted or otherwise provided for in a Department Order, comply with the requirements of 14 

CFR Part 203, concerning waiver of Warsaw Convention liability limits and defenses;

(7) Agree that operations under this authority constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity, for the purposes of 28 U.S.C. 

1605(a), but only with respect to those actions or proceedings instituted against it in any court or other tribunal in the 

United States that are: (a) based on its operations in international air transportation that, according to the contract of 

carriage, include a point in the United States as a point of origin, point of destination, or agreed stopping place, or for 

which the contract of carriage was purchased in the United States; or (b) based on a claim under any international 

agreement or treaty cognizable in any court or other tribunal of the United States. In this condition, the term 

"international air transportation" means "international transportation" as defined by the Warsaw Convention, except 

that all States shall be considered to be High Contracting Parties for the purpose of this definition;

(8) Except as specifically authorized by the Department, originate or terminate all flights to/from the United States in 

its homeland;

(9) Comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 217, concerning the reporting of scheduled, nonscheduled, and 

charter data;

(10) If charter operations are authorized, except as otherwise provided in the applicable aviation agreement, comply 

with the Department's rules governing charters (including 14 CFR Parts 212 and 380); and

(11) Comply with such other reasonable terms, conditions, and limitations required by the public interest as may be 

prescribed by the Department, with all applicable orders or regulations of other U.S. agencies and courts, and with all 

applicable laws of the United States.

This authority shall not be effective during any period when the holder is not in compliance with the conditions 

imposed above. Moreover, this authority cannot be sold or otherwise transferred without explicit Department approval 

under Title 49 of the U.S. Code.

12/2007